It was beautiful out today!

Today was a break from the misting and grey of Gatlinburg.  The sky was blue, it was about 60* (maybe warmer?) and the "smoke" all lifted from the mountains.  We began our day with Travis making pancakes, bacon and hashbrowns (yum) for breakfast.  Then we went on a drive through the mountains looking for bears.  I think we saw three squirrel.  Which is funny because I would've seen that pulling out of my driveway at home.  But the scenery was absolutely beautiful.  I don't think the kids fully appreciated this.  But someday, when they drag their kids on boring mountain drives looking for the mythical black bear, they'll see :)  After that we drove into Florida (not really) to go to a petting zoo and pony ride.  The petting zoo was rather awesome with zonkeys (zebra/donkey mix), a tame zebra, mini donkeys, tame deer, goats, mini horses, and more!  It was disgusting and fun at the same time :)  After we played with all the animals, the kids all got to ride ponies.  This is something Quinn really wanted to do.  And he LOVED it.  Jude and Lucy did as well!

Anyway, I am beat...so I'll save some pics and details for another time and place.  Enjoy my pics from today though!!!

The mountains....

It's been grey and misting all day today.  But we still had a great time!  We spent mid morning until mid afternoon at Wonderworks.  It was very crowded but it is seriously so much cooler than the "new" COSI in Columbus.  The old COSI would've won hands down, but the new one can't touch it!  After Wonderworks we went shopping (WOO HOO!!!!!)....they have a Tanger Outlet here....it must be a thing in the South, because it was the same as the one in Myrtle Beach.  Though they don't have a Piggly Wiggly here which is a tad disappointing. ALTHOUGH, they do have a Shoney's (My grandmother called this S Honey's once while on vacation with us in Hilton Head and that is how I lovingly remember it ever since) :)

Anyway, not really sure what the plans are for tomorrow just yet.  We want to take the boys (Quinn) to ride a pony, Jude wants to go on some Jurassic boat ride, I want to walk the strip to buy useless souvenirs, we still need to go putt-putting, and I am pretty sure Travis found a place to purchase a kilt to wear when he runs the Warrior Dash with me in June :)  There are a ton of other things we want to do as well.  It's a good thing tomorrow is only Monday!!

Have a fun work week everyone!!  I almost miss you all!!  A note on the pics- these were taken off of our lower back balcony...the house next door looks just like the one we're in.  I am not sure that I will be running at all this week since I have to run down to the main road (which means I'd have to run on a windy, skinny road down and then UPHILL to get back up - I dispise hills!!!).

We made it to Tennessee....

We're here.  It's raining.  But as I said previously, rain on vacation is still vacation and I'll take it :)

Just something I thought was amusing enough to share here....on our way down today, while travelling through Kentucky, Lucy decided she needed to use the potty.  So we exited at the next exit and headed toward the closest option; an extremely busy Cracker Barrell (is there any other kind?).  Travis dumped me, Quinn, and Lucy at the door so I could run her inside.  Travis was going to wait at the curb for us to come back out so he and Jude could go in.  But when we came out of the ladies room, Jude and Travis were standing there.  It seems a few parking spots had opened.  Travis said when he was headed for the closest open spot a pickup truck sped around the corner cutting him off and giving him the finger on their way into the spot.  We wonder if this is simply because they're seriously rude or if it's because they're from Kentucky and we have Ohio plates....or if maybe those two reasons are one and the same :)

Anyway....after getting settled in this afternoon, we headed out for a quick dinner and to grab some groceries.  I am looking forward to heading down to the strip tomorrow (when the rain has hopefully stopped) to do some shopping :)  We'll also be checking into age guidelines for some local activities that the boys would like to do.  With any luck the morning will be clear and beautiful and I can set up my tripod on the back deck and take some pics.

Tonight's pic is of Jude and Lucy.  Lucy and Chloe were doing "Ring Around the Rosey" and Jude joined in.  I love how great of a kid he is....add to it the fact that he is really good with Quinn and Lucy as well and he's a keeper :)  I'm tired....But I'll be up until probably at least 10 :)

No blog tonight :)

My camera is packed for vacation.  And I was busy ALL day long :)  I may or may not post while on vaca.  We are taking a laptop with us.  If I can get some awesome pics of the mountains or my kids having a fantastic time and I'm not too lazy at the end of the day I'll blog :)

So, Happy Spring Break everyone!  Good thing it's freezing outside :)

I am so off :)

It is a good thing I'm not working tomorrow.  I am so tired.  AND I haven't even started packing :)  Oops :)  Bones was on tonight though.  I am pretty sure it was a re-run but I hadn't seen it and it's nice to have a "show" again.  You know - that one hour during the week that you just have to stop doing whatever it is you think you should be doing and sit and watch.  Because of watching Bones, my pics are sort of just filler taken about 10 minutes ago of my baby boys fast asleep.  I love to watch my children sleep.  When they're sleeping I don't feel like everything is just always going too fast.  They grow and learn too fast.  I know it's inevitable.  But I just want to stop time for a while and live in a bubble.  I don't think that's asking too much - right?  So anyway....enjoy the filler :)

T minus 20 hours

By 3:30 tomorrow I will be off of work until April 4.  I cannot wait.

Today has been hard.  For some reasons that make sense and for some unknown to me.  Off and on all day.  So this will be to the point :)

Picture one - my actual pic for the day.  I like it.  Nothing was in motion so everything "seems" to be in focus.  And I like the fact that I managed to set WB, ISO and shutter speed appropriately to capture the actual late afternoon feel of my stairway.  Patting myself on the back :)

Picture two on the other hand is making me berate myself.  I turned on my camera and took this picture without resetting my camera from my last picture (two days ago) so shutter speed, WB, everything was off.  So, pic one is not edited because it's "good".  Pic two is edited because it is blue.  But that's about all I edited.  Because you can't FIX a blurred FACE.  I think this was caused by her movement coupled with my shutter speed - but how cute would this have been if it was perfect??  Just for giggles I am going to show you the before and the after.  Be sure to notice her Barney piggies :)  She is the cutest little girl ever.  BTW - she sat down and posed like this all by herself :)

I love.

My phone.  I said it.  I can live (and have been living happily) without cable.  But I love my phone.  I. Love. My. Phone.  It can do everything.  Well, not really.  But I still love it.  Not as much as my kids or husband.  But I love it..  It rocks.

Happy Monday everyone.  One day down, three to go.  Hopefully this rainy weather stays in Ohio instead of following us on vacation.  But, rain on vacation is still vacation :)

What do you want?!

Travis had to work all day today...so it was a pretty laid back time in the Shreffler house....I'm talking pjs all day, donuts for breakfast, general mess-making, the whole nine yards.  I did work on laundry (we are now done, thanks to Travis' follow-up after work) and some sort of cleaning bug bit me around 4pm long enough to dust and vacuum.  But, in complete honesty, I haven't even showered :)

Jude was given our "old" digital camera this weekend and we were having a blast taking pics today.  So my picture for today was taken on Jude's camera (by me though).  I think Lucy is trying to use facial expressions and body language to get me to leave her alone.  Who knows.  I don't really listen though.  It was a great weekend full of sunshine and fairy tales.  I don't want to go back to work tomorrow.  But the bright side is, I only have a four day work week and then we're on vacation!!!

 

Be present.

My head hurts and I'm tired and at a slight loss for words this evening.  

Just be present.  In life, in love, in everything you do.  I need this print.  I will get this print.  Or I will think of this print (among other things) often, as a reminder that life is never long enough.  Hug and kiss those you love a little more and forget about the laundry, or the yard, or whatever and just be present.  

My pic tonight is totally random.  I was busy playing today and forgot to take one.  

The moon is too bright.

Travis had to work tonight, unexpectedly.  So after getting Lucy to bed, the boys and I settled in to have some cuddle time and watch a movie.  It wasn't until after I put them to bed at about 9:30 that I thought I should probably take a picture for today.  So, I grabbed my remote, my camera, and my tripod and went outside.  I learned a couple of things.  My camera is nice, but not for night shots (or my lens, more specifically).  It just doesn't have the capability of capturing the details at the proper exposure.  Or I don't have the comprehension to manipulate my camera to make my lens work the way I want it to.  And I learned that even in a seemingly completely dark sky at 10pm there is too much light in the suburbia in which I live.  So, next time I will drive to South Dakota or Idaho or something if I want a picture of the night sky.  Because of this I have no picture for tonight.  I am fine with posting slightly blurred pics of my kids while learning because they are still the most adorable slightly blurred kids ever.  But I am not okay with posting a ball of fiery white with no "man in the moon" details in a black sky with what should have been a really cool white-ish, whispy cloud underneath (that instead looked like gray smoke coming from the ball of fiery white).

Since I have no picture for you to ohh and ahh over tonight I will share a link to one of my new favorite print stores (if that is, in fact, how it should be referenced).  Check it out if you want to know what I am talking about.  I haven't actually purchased anything from them as of yet, but I will be.  I love their "be present" print.  This is how I try to live my life!

http://www.freshwordsmarket.com/

Have a great weekend everyone!

The SUN was SHINING today.

AND I had on a t-shirt WITHOUT A COAT OR SWEATER!  I know.  We will probably have one more "snow" and definitely have at least one more frost.  But this weekend is supposed to be REALLY nice and today was just the beginning :)  We all played outside pretty much from 4pm on, barring the 30 minutes we spent eating dinner.  The boys played at Amanda's after school for a while - I think she had the whole neighborhood at her house.  She is a much braver woman than I :)  Thanks for having them over Amanda!

I have two pics tonight - both taken outside.  Both of Lucy while the boys were at their playdate.  The first one I like because Lucy is just too darn cute.  And the second one I like because of the photo itself.  I don't know if it's "technically" a better pic...But I like it :)

Time for Bones!!!  So have a great Friday everyone!!!

Carol is right.

Quinn will always be out of focus.  He is constantly in motion, even when he is sitting still.

I caught the boys reading together this evening.  Not that this is out of the norm in our house.  But it lasted long enough for me to get a picture.  As a matter of fact, I hear them coming down now, so it lasted at least 25 minutes.

Travis works late this evening.  Doing everything for three kids after getting off of a work day that started before the sun came up is tiring.  Jude had to have his other cavity filled this evening.  So it was rush, rush until just after dinner.  Though Jude did get this cavity filled just like the last, without any pain meds.  So it was quick and easy. Lucy felt the need to visit the dentist's bathroom three times in the 30 minutes we were there.  At least she actually pee'd once.  I've always felt it necessary to visit pretty much every public restroom we pass, so maybe it's genetic.  UPS came with my phone this evening.  So as soon as Travis gets home I can call Sprint to activate my new phone.  Then I'll be all techno savvy with a Droid.  I feel cooler already :)  Quinn managed to fall down the basement stairs while racing Jude to the bottom.  Quinn won.  He didn't "fall" in the traditional sense.  More like, fell pretty hard onto his hip and slid the rest of the way.  Poor kid will probably have a bruise.  And I couldn't even go rescue him because I was giving Lucy her daily spa time.  She is a fish.  She loves the tub.  She makes pancakes every night.  She also gets to wash the giant duck.  She enjoys bathtime.  She does feel the need to remove her ear plugs after I rinse her hair.  I'm sure this is okay though - right?

Anyway, tomorrow is Thursday which I guess is good enough.  It means I only have five business days of work after tomorrow until I am off for vacation!  Woo hoo!!

And now, the moment you have all been waiting for - the pic.

Quinn

Quinn hasn't been featured on here in a while (that I can recall).  So I took a pic of him tonight.

He brought home his preschool progress report yesterday and he is brilliant.  Seriously.  I am so proud of him :)  The teacher even wrote a note on his report saying that "he has a kind and gentle spirit" and (paraphrasing here) has many academic skills that will enable him to do GREAT next year:)  AND that they will miss him :(  It's sort of sad to me that we are done with preschool for a while.  Though, in complete honesty, I am also glad to be done with the tuition!  A few cents richer for a minute in time :)  Anyway, onto the picture....

In an effort to get back to my original mission with this photo project, I am trying to learn to use my camera.  So I shot in manual again tonight.  Why is focus seemingly the most difficult thing for me?  I even took white balance off auto and did it myself because the camera kept making Quinn green.  Maybe, though, because my vision sort of sucks I won't be able to manual focus?  I don't know...but I will be posting mostly unedited, manual photos from here on out to improve my skills :)  And by "manual", they may be partially manual (A, S, P; if you know how to use these options you are ahead of me).

Tuesday is almost over people - we may survive this week!

Monday again.

I really, truly, honestly, and whole heartedly dislike Monday.  Seriously.

Work was long.  My left leg hurt while running.  Work was long.

But coming home is always perfect.  The sun was shining.  We got to play outside this evening.  Lucy, in all of her coordination (she really is coordinated), managed to trip over the 16" wheel on Quinn's upright bike while chasing after a giant ball.  She literally flipped face first onto the ground.  Travis pulled her right side up and she said "Ta da".  I think she's more boy than most boys :)  She has a mark on her forehead from this - but it sure didn't slow her down!

Jude stacked all three of his "Mighty Beans" tonight - like a totem pole.  So I took a pic.

Both of my pictures this evening were taken in manual.  I actually changed ISO, worked on manual focus, and I'm pretty sure I also adjusted aperture on the pic of Lucy (though I don't really know, since I just don't really know!).  Because I am attempting to use manual focus though, nothing is really in focus :)

Quinn would like to say something now -
hi!

Whoooo....

went to Ikea today?!  I did!!!  With Julie!  It was so much fun!  Sadly though the most expensive item I bought was a lightbulb.  It was $8.00.  CRAZY for a lightbulb:)  We also went to Jungle Jim's.  They have live fish in tanks.  Not just lobster, but fish, kind of cool, kind of sad, and kind of creepy!  I can't wait to go back when I have planned for a real shopping trip.  They did have a really neat shelving unit that had a desk coming off of it that would be great for a sewing area......now where can I squeeze that into my house.....hmmmmmm.  They also had a closet insert thingy that I want to get for my master bedroom closet to make them into built-ins.  Who's up for the job?!

Now it's Sunday evening, Jude is trying not to go to bed, Lucy tried the same, and I am exhausted.  I realize the time change can mess with a person, but can I have extra energy instead of being ready for bed?  And tomorrow is Monday :(

*I took this pic on full manual.

Budding tattoo artist - Lucy

Lucy is apparently going to ink herself.  This reminds me of the Mirena commercials I see while I run at work.  I always wondered if maybe those mothers should prevent for five years due to the fact that they don't seem capable of watching their children for five seconds.  I guess you can add me to the club - even though she was sitting right next to me quietly coloring while I was oblivious to the fact that she used her own arm as paper.  Hmmm, would be thought provoking but we're done having kids!!

Taking tonight off :)

to watch a movie with the boys :)  Happy weekend everyone!!!

I turned my camera to manual...

Which is sort of a deceptive statement.  Since that just made it easier to take the kind of pic I was trying to take :)  I was over the whole snapshot thing tonight so I went for artsy.  I don't know how well I accomplished that - but here you go :)  I'm going to have a bowl of samoas ice cream now and watch Bones with Travis :)

Tomorrow is FRIDAY!!!!!

Cavities...

Jude and I had to go get cavities drilled and filled today.  He had one, I had three.  I got topical numbing cream and four shots of novacaine.  I still can't feel the left half of my face (seriously).  Jude managed to get a cavity drilled and filled without any sort of numbing or laughing gas or anything.  And he said the drill only hurt a little.  He is Iron Man.  With a purple bunny sidekick named Flopsy :)  I love them both :)

Blah.

Today sucked...not most of it, but the part of it that did suck sort of sucked bad enough to make the rest suck.  Work wasn't bad.  I think my wish from yesterday was granted.  I ran 5 miles again today, which will be my goal for tomorrow as well.  I think I can do it.  Lucy took potty training by the, well, you know, horns and showed it who's boss :)  The boys are the boys and they are both continually ongoing bright spots in my universe.  Even when they monopolize my laptop playing Webkinz after school instead of telling me about their days.  They are boys, and they are kids, it is bound to happen that they won't want to share (boo...).  But the bad part of my day came at about 7pm when we went to Quinn's kindergarten registration.  I feel like a complete failure as a parent.  I feel like I don't get to be as present as I want to be in their lives.  I feel like I cannot possibly advocate for them the way a mother should.  I feel like there is just not enough time in the day or resources available to do what I feel needs done.  I actually almost started crying at kindergarten registration.  I managed to hold it back until we got to the car.  I am still bitter about the fact that the school district wouldn't let Jude test into kindergarten at four because his birthday is after the testing cutoff yet they stand in front of a gymnasium full of soon to be kindy parents and tell them to think about holding their late summer birthday kids back, just because of their birthday.  I am worried for Quinn because he is a late summer birthday.  I don't want him to be pegged as a "young one" and be treated different.  I am worried that Quinn will be just as bored in school as Jude seems to be because he is already a fluent reader.  BOTH boys are bright and funny and witty and kind and I don't want to see them lose the spark.    I realize they are both REALLY young and I have years and years to worry and feel like a failure.  :)

Anyway, random rant over - rather therapeutic.  No need to reassure me that I am, in fact, NOT a failure as a parent.  The rational side of me (I do have one :)) knows that I am not.  I just feel like it right now.  It'll pass, I'm sure.

The mailman delivered my Lucy's new Snuggle Legs from a great giveaway a while back on Facebook.  I, of course, immediately took a pair out to put on Lucy with her cute big girl undies.  And then I didn't take a pic :) So it's just a pic of the actual leggings....  I personally LOVE their stuff.  You can follow them on Facebook (Snuggle Luv) or check out their site www.snuggleluv.com :)

Have a great night!!!

Monday...

Today was a very typical work day Monday.  It seemed to drone on and on with no end in sight.  But then it did end and I left work.  I had so much fun with the kids tonight.  Poor Travis isn't feeling well so he vegged on the couch while we all played too loudly.  But it was fun.

So we survived Monday.  Lucy is doing great with this potty training thing and the boys like the residual reward of m&m's they get when they "help" with Lucy's potty training :)

Tomorrow is Tuesday, and as I mentioned previously, we will be going to Kindergarten registration for Quinn.  But I forgot about the really special treat Jude and I have going on Wednesday.  We get to go to the dentist....to have cavities filled.  Oh the joy.

Anyway, hope Tuesday at work is a little less boring than today (in a good way, not in a "I have more work than I can handle" way).  And I wish the same for you!!

Two of the three best kids ever, EVER.

I love my kids, seriously just love them.  Even when they are being rotten, or are on my ever loving last nerve by doing the ONE thing over and over that I have repeatedly nicely asked them not to do... They are just all three the best, most loving, caring, intelligent little human beings I have ever met.  I really hope I don't mess up too much ;)

We stayed at home ALL weekend (for the most part) to work on potty training.  Lucy and I didn't leave at all and Travis took the boys on small excursions yesterday and today to give me a break :)  But the boys were such great helpers with potty training Lucy.  She did great too - with any luck we're done (with consistency, etc, blah, blah, those who have been there know what I cannot verbalize).....

Anyway, this is one busy week we're headed into!  We have kindergarten registration for Quinn on Tuesday, Jude and I have a mother/son night at school next Saturday, and next Sunday Jules and I are headed to Ikea and Jungle Jim's!!!  Woo hoo!!!....so not that busy really, but busy enough :)  Looking forward to a great week though!  I hope you are as well!!

Too tired for words...

Enjoy the pic :)

Potty Training take one.

Being a full time working mom I have to try to fit things in where I can.  I had planned to potty train Lucy when I was off for a week over Christmas but she was on antibiotics and that would've just been ugly.  So, I am going hardcore this weekend.  Quinn potty trained in two days and I have (almost) complete faith that Lucy can do the same.  I've been talking it up to her all week and broke out the cute undies tonight before putting her to bed.  Which she then insisted on putting on over top of her pjs.  Blog pic.  I have the mini m&m's all ready though and I have mentally prepared myself for three things.  1. I will not get to sleep in this weekend because I have to wake up before Lucy in hopes of starting her day on the potty.  2. We will have a slight role reversal for the next two days that may be a minor setback to Lucy's current independent attitude - I will be stuck on her like glue.  3. This may not even work.  But again, I have (almost) complete faith that it will.  Keep your fingers crossed for us!

I have also attached a pic of an awesome torn paper collage that Jude made with a visiting artist at school.  It has taken the place of his really cool marble painting from preschool.  I love our art gallery.  I love seeing their accomplishments and seeing how proud they are of said accomplishments :)

Have a great weekend everyone!!

PS - we took the undies off before she went to bed :)

Lucy dancing in the street...

Or at the dinner table, tonight.  Jude was doing some sort of Mexican hat dance (not really) in his chair at the table and Lucy started following along.  She had her follow-up today for her tubes.  The Doc said everything looks great and he likes to see his tube patients every three months (really?  Isn't that how often we were being seen for ear infections?  lol....I know, this is better, she is healthy, I am JUST KIDDING!).  So we go back the same week as her two year well visit :(  My last baby will be two years old in three short months.  I still remember the week I went overdue with her and called my doctor crying and they laughed at me....remember like it was yesterday.  I also remember meeting her for the first time and thinking her lips were too big for her to possibly be my child (seriously, they were SWOLLEN).  Alas, I will save some of this walk down memory lane for a post three months from now celebrating her birth.  Enjoy the pic, she is making the funniest face ever and she totally paused on each upswing of her arms and connected with the camera like "take the pic already mom". Enough rambling for one Thursday night.  Wait.  It's Thursday.  Tomorrow is Friday!  Woo hoo!!!

I took a picture of a tripod on a tripod!

Today's blog is brought to you by the letter J and the letter Q.

Jude and Travis built this tower (which Jude thinks resembles a tripod, I didn't bother pointing out that it has four legs, we can go over the differences tomorrow) for my blog tonight.  Then Jude insisted I put the camera ON the tripod to take the pic.  Quinn used the remote to snap shot after shot.  I really do love having them so interested in something that I am interested in.  I also love that whatever they are into becomes that much more fun for me.

By the way, I just want to give credit to Jude for his witty blog title tonight!  They both really like helping with this!

Look Ma! No faces!

So at dinner tonight Lucy put a strawberry in her mouth and said "I like it".  Clear as day.  We all cheered her on :)  She also peed and pooped on the potty tonight.  I think if I can clear my schedule for most of this weekend we may go on a potty training adventure.

So here are some random pics from this evening, just following dinner.  Jude and Quinn think it's fun when they can move fast enough to blur my pics :)  I have to admit the "no face" look they accomplished this evening was rather fun!  The one of Lucy is just because she is too darn cute :)